Ancient African societies developed towns that served as centers of government, trade, and crafts. Towns were ruled by kings who held audiences and maintained order in exchange for taxes and trade. Extended families and lineage groups provided the basic social structure, and while women held important economic roles, societies were usually patriarchal. Religions varied but often involved belief in supreme beings, ancestors, and an afterlife. Slavery, trade, and the spread of Islam impacted African cultures over this period.

1. 500 BCE – 1400 CE

2.  Much of what we know about Ancient African
society comes from the writings of foreign
visitors.
 African towns began as fortified villages,
which grew into larger communities that
served several purposes
 Towns were center of government
 Towns had markets with goods from trade
 Towns had artists who made pottery, tools,
woodwork, and other crafts
 Farmers could trade their crops for goods

3.  Inmost African societies, the ruler would
hold audiences with commoners
 The king was held in a position high above
other people in the kingdom
 The relationship of the king to his subjects
was beneficial to both sides
 Merchants received favors from the king, while
the king received taxes
 The king maintained law and order, which
allowed the merchants to practice their trade

4.  People who lived in villages generally lived with
extended family and/or lineage groups
 The extended family was made up of
parents/grandparents/children and other family
members
 Lineage groups were the extended family that may
live in separate homes in the same village, and were
all related
 Lineage groups were the basic building block of African
society
 Members of the same lineage group could claim
relation to a common ancestor
 Leading members of the group had power over the
others
 The lineage group provided support for its members,
taking care of one another

5.  Women were usually subordinate to men in
Africa, as they were in most early societies
around the world
 Women often worked in the fields while men hunted
or took care of the cattle
 One critical difference between African women
and women from other areas of the world was
that lineage was based on the mother; African
society was matrilineal, based on the mother.
(Most other societies were patrilineal – based on
the father.
 Women were permitted to inherit property and
often a new husband would move into his wife’s
house

6.  In the Congo, children were raised by their
mothers and were prepared to become part of
the community
 They learned language, family history, and music from
their mothers
 At age 6, the sexes were separated and the
fathers began to take an active role in educating
their sons
 Boys learned to hunt and fish
 Girls learned to work in the villages and fields
 As they aged, children were given increasing
responsibilities until they fully entered the
community, usually at puberty.
 Their transition was marked by ceremonies and/or
rituals

7.  Slavery was practiced in Africa even in ancient
times
 Berber groups in North Africa raided farming villages
south of the Sahara for captives
 The captives were taken northward and sold throughout
the Mediterranean as domestic slaves or soldiers
 Slavery was common in south and East Africa.
 Slaves were captives, conquered peoples, debtors,
and criminals
 Life was difficult for most slaves, who often
worked long, hard hours
 In Muslim societies and Asia, some slaves could
earn their freedom

8.  Early African religions varied from place to
place, although most shared some common
ideas
 The Yoruba people of Nigeria believed that their chief
god sent his son Oduduwa from Heaven to create the
first humans
 The Ashanti people of Ghana believed in a supreme
being called Nyame, whose sons were lesser gods.
Each son served a different purpose, like making rain
or sunshine.
 Most African religions had rituals and ceremonies
 One way to communicate with the gods was through
diviners, or people who believe they have the power
to foretell events by communicating with
supernatural forces

9. A key element in African religions was the
importance of ancestors
 Each lineage group could trace itself back to a
founding ancestor or group of ancestors
 Ritual ceremonies were dedicated to ancestors
 Many African religions shared a belief in the
afterlife
 They believed life existed in two stages: earth
and the afterlife, where the soul floated for
eternity

10.  African religious beliefs were challenged by
Islam, but not always replaced
 Islam swept rapidly across the northern coast
after the Arab conquest
 Islam was spread as a result of trade
throughout Africa
 The first ruling family to convert to Islam were
the Gao’s
 Islam spread even more slowly in East Africa
 Christianity dominated much of the region
 Was more successful when Swahili culture
emerged

11.  Earliest forms of African art were rock
paintings, dating back as far as 4000 BCE
 Wood carving existed throughout Africa.
Carvers made elaborate masks and
statues
 Clay and metal figurines were found in
Nigeria that demonstrated a flourishing
culture
 Metalworkers produced bronze and iron
statues
 African music and dance was extensive
and often served a religious purpose
 Griots were storytellers who kept African
traditions and history as part of their
stories